El Pollo Loco Hires Ex-Karcher Executive : Fast food: Ray Perry wants to develop more products and improve quality of side items in war with the ‘burger kings.’
A veteran Southland fast-food executive has been hired as chief operating officer of El Pollo Loco’s chain of Mexican-style chicken takeout restaurants.
Ray Perry, formerly executive vice president of Carl Karcher Enterprises and more recently president of a coffeehouse chain, started work June 1 for El Pollo Loco at its Irvine headquarters, the company announced Tuesday. He also became senior vice president of its parent company, Flagstar Companies Inc. in Spartanburg, S.C. He succeeded James M. Verney, who resigned from both posts in December.
“Ray’s strong food-service background and his knowledge of the West Coast market is an asset to our El Pollo Loco team,” said H. Stephen McManus, executive vice president of restaurant operations for Flagstar.
El Pollo has 210 units, most of them in the Southwest. It was one of the fastest-growing fast-food chains in the 1980s, when health-conscious customers started flocking to its stores for charcoal-broiled chicken as an alternative to fried fast food.
In the 1990s, however, the company has been hurt by fast-food price wars. To stay competitive, El Pollo Loco has developed a line of low-priced burritos and tacos. It has also added beef to the menu.
Perry, 51, said in an interview with the Times earlier this year that he considers himself a specialist at expanding fast-food chains and fixing their problems. He said Tuesday that he is excited about his new job, seeing it as a chance to build up a company that has already established an image of high quality.
“El Pollo chicken is the best in the industry. We have some opportunities, particularly at lunch,” Perry said. “We have got to take some of that business away from those burger kings.”
He said he plans to develop more products to enhance the lunch trade and to improve the quality of side items like tortillas and salsa.
El Pollo franchisees are behind him, he said. “They want to see the company succeed as bad as I do.”
At Carl Karcher Enterprises, parent company of the Carl’s Jr. fast-food chain, Perry was the No. 3 executive behind founder and Chairman Carl Karcher and his late brother, company President Donald Karcher. The chain grew rapidly under Perry’s tenure.
Perry left after a falling-out with the Karchers two years ago and, with his wife, Robbie, bought Kelly’s Coffee & Fudge Factory, a 15-unit coffeehouse chain based in Tustin. The couple plan to maintain their interest in the coffeehouses, Robbie Perry said Tuesday.
